Under the theory that it takes a sniper to understand a sniper, FBI agent Terrill Hatfield pressures ex-Ranger and ex-sniper Brendan Thorne into tracking down Hal Corwin, a legendary Vietnam operative who has threatened the life of new President Gustave Wallberg. Backed up against the proverbial wall by the machinations of the ruthless and ambitious Hatfield, Thorne starts to shadow Corwin's footsteps, getting into his prey's head, puzzling out just how and when the killer will strike. Doing so, he develops a grudging admiration for the man, whose tragic past bears eerie parallels to his own. Digging into Corwin's seemingly twisted motivations, he also discovers secrets which make him dangerous to Hatfield and the current Administration.
Although it starts from a similar premise as Stephen Hunter's ,em>Point of Impact (determining the best way to assassinate a target) and explores similar terrain (extraordinary individuals in extraordinary situations), Joe Gores' latest is very much its own book, an engaging battle of wits between two similar men whom life has treated badly. Gores brings each of his main characters to vivid life; readers will have a difficult time deciding whom to root for over the course of the novel, as its twisting course provides different perspectives on each. Fast paced and surprising, Glass Tiger finds Gores getting better with age--while the majority of his contemporaries are content to rest on their laurels, this multiple Edgar Award wining scribe continues to write novels that challenge and entertain.